Friday, September 12, 2008

FOOD FRIDAY

Wow, I almost forgot that it's Food Friday. But since it's still Friday here in Washington state, I decided to go ahead and post an entry.

With fall approaching, many of us have access to windfall apples. The following recipe is great for this often free bounty because the apples have to be peeled and cut up anyway. So imagine the smells in your kitchen when you make a batch of~

CROCK POT APPLE BUTTER

crock pot full of apples, peeled, cored & quartered

2 cups cider or apple juice

2 cups white sugar (I have not tried this with Splenda)

½ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground cloves

1. fill pot to 1 inch over the rim with prepared apples (they will cook down)

2. add cider and put on lid and cook on low for 12 hours (I used to turned it on in the morning before I went to work).

3. after 12 hours, stir well and add rest of ingredients, stirring well. Leave pot on low, put lid back on with window open or lift the lid to one side if you have no window on yours. You need just enough of a crack to allow moisture out. Cook for 12 to 24 hours on low, stirring occasionally until proper consistency. To test for proper consistency, put some on a plate.......liquid will not accumulate more than ¼ inch around the edge of apple butter when done.

4. your apple butter should be a rich, dark brown color. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal in a water bath. Or it can be frozen. This recipe makes about 4 pints.

I know it's time consuming but the end result will be worth it. I have made this in the fall, took the lid ring off, added a cute piece of fabric, screwed the lid ring back on and it makes a nice littlegift for a family member, neighbor or friend over the holidays.

10 comments:

Funny that you mentioned apple butter...we just got an invitation today for my family's annual apple butter-making get-together later this month! Now that I'm not working, and I don't have to work every other weekend, we can go and enjoy the festivities!

About Me

I've lived in beautiful western Washington all my life. I'm divorced and the mother of a married son (Jim)and a married daughter (Julie). Julie and her husband are the parents of my two grandchildren Harrison age 21 and Meghanne age 20. I retired in February 2007 from a large health system and love to travel locally and up and down the west coast with my friend Bob. We've also been on several cruises & loved the experience. I love to buy & sell on eBay and after being an Avon Rep since 1976, I retired from Avon in May of 2009.